Thermal recycling system

ABSTRACT

A thermal recovery system includes one or more thermal transfer tanks having a medium for facilitating heat transfer from the refrigerant conduit of a conventional air conditioning system to one or both of a fresh water line carrying fresh water to a user and a circulated water line circulating water.

BACKGROUND

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a system for capturing thermal energy to heat water while reducing overall energy consumption.

With recent emphasis on green technology and reducing power consumption, communities across the globe are focusing on alternative ways to save power and thus conserve our natural resources. One of the fastest and most cost effective ways to reduce power consumption is to increase the efficiency of every day items such as air conditioning and heat pump units.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional air conditioning system (i.e. thermal gradient producing device) 11 that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein. As shown, the evaporator 12 includes a cold temperature area where pressurized refrigerant 16 contained in a circulation chamber 15 is allowed to expand, boil and evaporate. During this change of state from liquid to gas, energy in the form of heat is absorbed from the outside environment as an endothermic process. The compressor 14 acts as the refrigerant pump and recompresses the refrigerant 16 from a gas into a liquid. The compressor operates on electricity and the required amount fluctuates depending on the temperature difference between the evaporator and the condenser. The condenser 13 includes a hot temperature area that expels the heat of the refrigerant 16 that was absorbed by the evaporator plus any additional heat produced during compression by the compressor 14.

In a typical configuration, the condenser 13 is located outside a building and the evaporator 12 is located inside. Moreover, both the evaporator 12 and condenser 13 include a fan 19 for assisting the transformation process.

Accordingly, it would be beneficial to provide a system for utilizing the heat dissipated from a thermal gradient producing device, such as conventional air conditioning system, to heat fresh water. It would also be beneficial to achieve this goal without utilizing additional power and to increase the efficiency of both the air conditioning unit and a hot water heater during the process.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a system for utilizing the heat dissipated from a thermal gradient producing device, such as conventional air conditioning system, to heat fresh water. In this way, the heat dissipated by the air conditioning system is fully exploited, no additional power is required to effectuate the transfer, and the efficiency of the air conditioning unit is increased.

One embodiment of the present invention can include a thermal transfer tank having a medium for facilitating heat transfer from the refrigerant conduit of an air conditioning system to a fresh water line carrying fresh water to a user.

Another embodiment of the present invention can include a thermal transfer tank having a medium for facilitating heat transfer from the refrigerant conduit of an air conditioning system to a pool line circulating pool water.

Yet another embodiment of the present invention can include a plurality of thermal transfer tanks having a medium for facilitating heat transfer from the refrigerant conduit of an air conditioning system to both a fresh water line carrying fresh water to a user and a pool line circulating pool water.

This summary is provided merely to introduce certain concepts and not to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Presently preferred embodiments are shown in the drawings. It should be appreciated, however, that the invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIG. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view of a conventional thermal gradient producing system that is useful for understanding the inventive concepts disclosed herein.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a thermal recovery system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 a is a detail view of a thermal transfer tank according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a thermal recovery system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a thermal recovery system according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

While the specification concludes with claims defining the features of the invention that are regarded as novel, it is believed that the invention will be better understood from a consideration of the description in conjunction with the drawings. As required, detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein; however, it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention, which can be embodied in various forms. Therefore, specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting, but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the inventive arrangements in virtually any appropriately detailed structure. Further, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting but rather to provide an understandable description of the invention.

As described herein, virtually any sustainable thermal gradient producing device, such as a commercial freezer or walk in cooler, for example, or heat exchange system can be utilized without deviating from the scope and spirit of the inventive concepts disclosed herein. One example of a sustainable thermal gradient producing device is a conventional air conditioning (a/c) or heat pump system. In this sense, an a/c system absorbs heat energy from the endothermic side via an evaporator and releases the heat energy to the exothermic side via a condenser. Moreover, it is known that the temperature at which a liquid boils and turns to vapor depends on ambient pressure. Thus at atmosphere 1 (normal atmospheric pressure), water boils at 100° C., but at a reduced pressure of 0.1 atmosphere, water boils at only 46° C. Conversely, water vapor having a temperature of 50° C. at 0.1 atmosphere can be condensed and thereby converted back to liquid simply by increasing the pressure. As such, in passing from the liquid to vapor phase, every liquid absorbs heat and then subsequently gives off this heat on condensing. In modern thermal gradient producing devices such as a conventional a/c or heat pump system, for example, use is made of a refrigerant (such as Freon©) with a low boiling point.

To this end, FIG. 2 illustrates one embodiment of a thermal recovery system. As shown, a thermal recovery system 20 can include a thermal gradient producing device 11 (such as the air conditioning unit described above, for example), a transfer tank 21 and a fresh water conduit 23.

The thermal transfer tank 21 can include a container capable of storing a transfer medium 22 such as water, gas or other materials having excellent conductive properties. The fresh water conduit 23 can act to supply fresh water 24 under pressure to a building or structure. As such, the fresh water conduit 23 is preferably connected to a municipality or well at a first end 23 a, and the hot water heater 29 of a home or building at a second end 23 b.

In one preferred embodiment, the transfer tank 21 can be constructed from hardened plastic or fiberglass having a storage capacity of between 50 and 200 gallons, and the fresh water conduit 23 can be constructed from standard copper tubing or other thermal conductive materials. Of course other materials and size configurations are also contemplated.

In another embodiment, (not illustrated) tank 21 can include reinforced surfaces and/or strong materials capable of withstanding extreme exterior pressures. Such a feature can allow the tank 21 to be installed in an underground environment, and therefore utilize the natural thermal properties of the soil and earth.

In operation, the thermal recovery system 20 can act to transfer radiant heat from the A/C 11 to the fresh water conduit 23 via the medium 22 contained inside the thermal transfer tank 21. As such, in one embodiment, a portion of the refrigeration conduit 15 exiting the compressor 14 can be routed through the transfer tank 21 before returning to the condenser 13. As stated above, this portion of the refrigerant conduit contains pressurized refrigerant 16 at an extremely high temperature (typically in excess of 160° F.) which produces a high volume of radiant heat. Additionally, the fresh water conduit 23 can be routed through the transfer tank in a similar configuration. In one preferred embodiment, both the refrigerant conduit 15 and the fresh water conduit 23 are arranged within the transfer chamber so as to maximize the surface area that can be contacted by the transfer medium 22. Such an arrangement can include positioning the conduits in a coiled manner (similar to radiator coils, for example), or any other such way in order to allow maximum surface area exposure to the transfer medium 22 within the tank.

As the hot refrigerant 16 passes through the portion of the conduit 15 located within the transfer tank 21, radiant heat is conducted into the transfer medium 22, thus causing the temperature of the transfer medium to rise. Over time, the temperature of the transfer medium 22 will stabilize at a temperature near the refrigerant conduit 15 (approximately 100-120° F.), based upon the known laws of thermodynamics. In the same manner, heat from the transfer medium 22, which is at a higher temperature than the fresh water 24, will act to increase the temperature of the fresh water 24 located inside the fresh water conduit 23.

The output of this system (heated water) can then be utilized directly by a user or can be fed into the input of a conventional hot water heater for storage. In the latter case, the system 20 eliminates the need for the conventional hot water heater to raise the temperature of water, thereby reducing the overall power consumption of the building and resulting in a considerable energy savings over time. Additionally, by removing thermal energy from the heated refrigerant 16, the system 20 will reduce the amount of energy required by the condenser to cool the refrigerant, thereby increasing the performance of the air conditioning system as well. In essence, the transfer tank 21 can act as a secondary condenser to the a/c system 11.

In another embodiment, the transfer tank 21 can further include insulation 25 for preventing heat from dissipating from the tank. As such, the high temperature of the medium 22 can be maintained even when the refrigerant conduit 15 does not produce radiant heat. Thus allowing the system 20 to continue to heat fresh water 24 during periods when the a/c system 11 is not in use.

FIG. 2 a illustrates an alternate embodiment of a transfer tank 21′ which can be pre-fabricated with an internally placed refrigerant conduit 15′ and fresh water conduit 23′ each having a pipe connector 27 for communicating with the refrigerant conduit 15 and fresh water conduit 23, respectively. To this end, tank conduits 15′ and 23′ can be installed within the tank 21 during an initial construction thereby eliminating the need for manual routing of pipe at the building location. As described herein, conduits 15 and 15′ as well as 23 and 23′ can be secured together utilizing any number of known attachment means ranging from compression fittings to welds and many others.

Owing to the design of the thermal recovery system 20, both the refrigerant conduit 15 and the fresh water conduit 23 are separate pressurized systems. As such, if the contents of either line are released into the environment no contamination of the other conduit occurs due to the separation of the systems. For example, if the refrigerant conduit 15 were to leak refrigerant 16 into the transfer tank 21, the fresh water 24 within the closed system of the water conduit 23 would not be exposed to the leaked refrigerant. Moreover, even if a leak occurs in both the refrigerant conduit 15 and the fresh water conduit 24, the pressure contained within each conduit will act to prevent any outside contaminant from entering the line. Such a feature provides high reliability and substantial safety to a system user. Accordingly, a thermal recovery system 20 as described above can reliably heat fresh water without utilizing additional power in a safe and environmentally friendly way.

FIG. 3 illustrates another embodiment of a thermal recovery system 30 that includes the A/C system 11, transfer tank 21 and transfer medium 22 described above, connected to a conventional swimming pool 36. As shown, both a pool conduit 33 and the refrigerant conduit 15 can be fed through the transfer tank 21 in a manner identical to that described above, in order to allow the radiant heat from the refrigerant 16 to heat the pool water 34.

However, as the pool pump 35 operates to constantly circulate pool water 34 having a lower temperature (typically 26° C.) through the tank 21, the temperature of the transfer medium 22 can not reach an equivalent temperature to the refrigerant conduit 15. To this end, the temperature of the transfer medium 22 will be higher than the temperature of the pool water 34 and lower than the temperature of the refrigerant 16. As such, the transfer medium 22 acts to increase the overall temperature of the pool water 34, while simultaneously lowering the overall temperature of the refrigerant 16.

Accordingly, a thermal recovery system 30 can act to provided heated water for swimming pools without utilizing additional energy. Additionally, and as described above, by lowering the temperature of the refrigerant entering the condenser, the system 30 greatly reduces the overall power requirements of the A/C system, thus increasing the coefficient of performance while preserving natural resources.

Although described above as utilizing a swimming pool, this is for illustrative purposes only, as the inventive concepts can be applied to virtually any body of water having a circulation pump such as a fountain, spa, or pond, for example.

FIG. 4 illustrates another alternate embodiment of a thermal recovery system 40 that acts to combine systems 20 and 30 described above. Accordingly, system 40 provides a system configured to increase the performance of a thermal generating system 11 while increasing the water temperature of both a building's fresh water supply and a swimming pool.

To this end, a portion of the refrigeration conduit 15 exiting the compressor 14 can be routed through multiple transfer tanks 21, before returning to the condenser 13. In this regard, conduit 15 acts to supply the necessary radiant heat to each transfer tank in order to simultaneously heat water for both a swimming pool 36 and a hot water heater 29.

Accordingly, a thermal recovery system 40 can act to produce hot water for both a building and a swimming pool, while simultaneously increasing the coefficient of performance of an A/C system, thus conserving large amounts of energy and preserving natural resources.

As to a further description of the manner and use of the present invention, the same should be apparent from the above description. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the manner of usage and operation will be provided.

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

The corresponding structures, materials, acts, and equivalents of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below are intended to include any structure, material, or act for performing the function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. The description of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the invention in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention. The embodiment was chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and the practical application, and to enable others of ordinary skill in the art to understand the invention for various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. 

1. A thermal recovery system for heating fresh water, said system comprising: a thermal transfer unit having a heat transfer medium positioned therein; a thermal gradient producing system including an endothermic unit configured to absorb heat from an outside environment, an exothermic unit configured to release heat to the outside environment, a conduit configured to contain a refrigerant, said conduit connecting the exothermic unit, the endothermic unit and a compressor in a serial manner, said compressor being configured to compress and pump the refrigerant through the conduit, wherein a portion of the conduit located between the compressor and the exothermic unit is routed through the transfer tank and transfer medium; and a fresh water line configured to contain water under pressure, said water line being routed through the transfer tank and transfer medium, wherein the heat transfer medium is configured to conduct heat from the conduit to the water line.
 2. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein the conduit is positioned within the transfer unit so as to maximize a surface area contact with the transfer medium.
 3. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein the water line is positioned within the transfer unit so as to maximize a surface area contact with the transfer medium.
 4. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein the transfer medium comprises water.
 5. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein a leak from one or both of the conduit and the water line will not affect the contents of the other.
 6. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein the transfer unit includes at least one of a plastic, metal or fiberglass tank.
 7. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein the transfer unit is configured to be located underground.
 8. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein the transfer unit includes insulation.
 9. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein the thermal gradient producing system comprises an air conditioning system.
 10. The thermal recovery system of claim 1, wherein an output of the water line is connected to an input of a conventional hot water heater.
 11. A thermal recovery system for heating circulating water, said system comprising: a thermal transfer unit having a heat transfer medium positioned therein; a thermal gradient producing system including an endothermic unit configured to absorb heat from an outside environment, an exothermic unit configured to release heat to the outside environment, a conduit configured to contain a refrigerant, said conduit connecting the exothermic unit, the endothermic unit and a compressor in a serial manner, said compressor being configured to compress and pump the refrigerant through the conduit, wherein a portion of the conduit located between the compressor and the exothermic unit is routed through the transfer tank and transfer medium; and a body of water having a water line and a pump for circulating water through the line, wherein the water line is routed through the transfer tank and transfer medium, and the heat transfer medium is configured to conduct heat from the conduit to the water within the line and reduce a temperature of the refrigerant.
 12. The thermal recovery system of claim 11, wherein the conduit is positioned within the transfer unit so as to maximize a surface area contact with the transfer medium.
 13. The thermal recovery system of claim 11, wherein the water line is positioned within the transfer unit so as to maximize a surface area contact with the transfer medium.
 14. The thermal recovery system of claim 11, wherein the transfer medium comprises water.
 15. The thermal recovery system of claim 11, wherein a leak from one or both of the conduit and the water line will not affect the contents of the other.
 16. A thermal recovery system for heating water and increasing the coefficient of performance of a thermal gradient producing system, said system comprising: a first thermal transfer unit having a first heat transfer medium positioned therein; a second transfer unit having a second heat transfer medium positioned therein; a thermal gradient producing system including an endothermic unit configured to absorb heat from an outside environment, an exothermic unit configured to release heat to the outside environment, a conduit configured to contain a refrigerant, said conduit connecting the exothermic unit, the endothermic unit and a compressor in a serial manner, said compressor being configured to compress and pump the refrigerant through the conduit, wherein a portion of the conduit located between the compressor and the exothermic unit is routed through the first and second transfer tanks, respectively; a fresh water line configured contain water under pressure, said fresh water line being routed through the first transfer tank and transfer medium, wherein the first heat transfer medium is configured to conduct heat from the conduit to the fresh water line; and a body of water having a circulating water line and a pump for circulating water through the circulated water line, wherein the circulated water line is routed through the transfer tank and transfer medium, and the second heat transfer medium is configured to conduct heat from the conduit to the water within the circulated water line and reduce a temperature of the refrigerant.
 17. The thermal recovery system of claim 16, wherein the conduit is positioned within each of the first and second transfer units so as to maximize a surface area contact with the first and second transfer mediums, respectively.
 18. The thermal recovery system of claim 16, wherein the fresh water line is positioned within the first transfer unit so as to maximize a surface area contact with the first transfer medium.
 19. The thermal recovery system of claim 16, wherein the circulated water line is positioned within the second transfer unit so as to maximize a surface area contact with the second transfer medium.
 20. The thermal recovery system of claim 16, wherein a leak from one or all of the conduit, the fresh water line and the circulated water line will not affect the contents of the other. 